Former Player Pushing Oilers to Make Offer Sheet

According to a former general manager, the Edmonton Oilers have an easy decision to make regarding one of their restricted free agents.

Jun 8, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Edmonton Oilers defenseman Philip Broberg (86) defends against Florida Panthers forward Vladimir Tarasenko (10) during the second period in game one of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The Edmonton Oilers have a difficult decision to make. Two of their restricted free agents, Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, have been tendered offer sheets by the St. Louis Blues. The Oilers now have just a few days remaining to decide whether they will match one or both of the contracts offered by the Blues or take the draft pick compensation.

According to former NHL player and executive Brian Lawton, there is an easy choice to make regarding defenseman Philip Broberg. Speaking to Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now, Lawton said if he was in charge of the Oilers it's a no-brainer to retain his services.

“I would never let him go,” he said. “That doesn’t mean Edmonton will do that. Everybody has their own opinion. I played the game. I was a forward. People always ask, ‘Why do you care so much about defence?’ Especially a team like Edmonton that is so high-powered, but at the end of the day you’ve got to have good ‘D’ to control the game. If you don’t, you’re dead in the water."

With defense being such a premium in the NHL, Lawton believes the Oilers need to prioritize their defensive depth to balance out their high-powered offense. It's why he was indifferent about whether the Oilers should retain Holloway or not.

"You would match if you think that Holloway will be a Top 6 forward on your team," he said. “If he’s just a third line winger, then you probably can live without him at this stage in my opinion at that number.”

Holloway is coming off of a half season with the NHL club, where he put up six goals over 38 games. A former first round pick for the Oilers, he hasn't quite developed into the top-six winger they envisioned yet, but the Blues believe he could get that opportunity in St. Louis.

Broberg is also coming off of a season split between the NHL and AHL. He put up 38 points with the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL, but had just two points in 12 NHL games. The postseason was where Broberg emerged for the Oilers, playing 10 games and scoring three points while averaging over 15 minutes per game.

The Blues are offering Broberg a contract with an average annual salary of $4.58 million and Holloway a deal worth $2.29 million annually. Both are clearly numbers beyond what the Oilers have been willing to go to this offseason, but keeping a potential 23 year old top-four defender in Broberg is worth the price for Lawton. Whether or not the Oilers agree will be made clear in the coming days.

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